What an amazing weekend break I’ve just been on. Yes I know… I only just got to Cape Town… but I was invited by my friend Sarah to visit her Parent’s olive farm in Clanwilliam, about 3 hours drive North from Cape Town. I’ve not had a chance to catchup with Sarah so it was great to get away with her.
The area is known for it’s citrus fruit and it is mainly a farming community, perfect. It’s a stunningly beautiful part of the country nestled in the Cederberg Mountains. 
Sarah picked me up from Hout Bay after work on Friday and after a few pit stops (pick up dogs, bags, change headlight bulbs, fuel, beer and snacks) we where off! I drove up, which is the longest drive I’ve done in over two years and in the dark. It was fine though, old habits die hard. The drive was eventful on a Friday evening with some crazy truckers, drivers racing and doing stupid things to get home that 5 minutes earlier. Hay ho, we survived with no major issues at all. We arrived at about 10pm which was later than we expected, but there was some construction being done on the mountain pass and we got stuck behind a truck or two on the way.
Sarah’s Mum had prepared a lovely roast supper which we absolutely wolfed down! We weren’t long in getting to bed I can tell you.
I woke early on Saturday morning, as is my way, and went for a walk around the “lands”. This is an old tradition of mine, coming home to our old family farm when my folks still farmed. It’s was a beautiful morning, fairly chilly start, but it warmed up quickly.
View full album or download from here
By the time I got back it was time for fresh coffee and breakfast with everyone being up and about. It was decided that we should visit the Sevilla Rock Art Trail as that had some amazing bushman paintings which I really wanted to see.
We packed the bakkie and headed off. It’s an amazing drive through Pakhuis Pass to the other side of the mountains. Pakhuis Pass was build by Thomas Bain in 1875.
After parking up, we saddled the backpack and made our way on the trail which runs along the Olifants River.
The trail itself is very beautiful, situated in the valley and running directly along the river. But let me say that I was not expecting the absolute abundance of bushman paintings we where to see. It blew me away. They just littered all over the place. Find a rock over hang and you’ll find paintings.
There is no way to date the paintings as they are made from local materials so you could be looking at something hundreds of years old or thousands even. Who knows. There paintings there of dinosaurs, so you tell me how old they are! And remarkably well preserved some of them. Sadly some are lost for ever but you can still make out many and it is one of the most amazing experiences visiting these places where bushman would have lived and hunted so many years ago. You sit there and you and just feel that history. Amazing. The pictures that follow are a combination of the shots I took and Sarah’s.
View full album or download from here
We had fantastic weather for the hike, with bright sunshine as we where walking and viewing the paintings with it cooling down as we trekked back to the car. On the way back it started to rain which was almost perfect as it meant a very lazy late afternoon on the couch! Which is what we promptly did when we returned and only left the couch to enjoy yet another fantastic meal that evening, including some spotted dick for dessert! 😉
It was another early night after the days hiking. Man I tell you I slept well this weekend! Woke up just before sunrise again and read a bit till about 8 when I ventured out for some more fresh coffee and very entertaining fry up by Sarah for breakfast… hay you had to be there!
After a hearty breakfast, we all (5 dogs included) went for a walk down to the river which runs through the farm. Olifants River again, just further up. Lovely walk with the dogs running around, swimming and us just enjoying the nice fresh air!
We retuned a little before lunch and after some snacking starting packing up for the drive home.
What an amazing weekend, thank you all. x
Some more info and links if you interested in the bushman paintings:
- https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Bushmen
- http://www.dur.ac.uk/prehistoric.art/research/sa_home.htm
- http://www.clanwilliam.info/info/inforockart.htm
- http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/us/full-article?oid=9178&sn=Detail&pid=7014
As always, all content and images creative commons licensed.
CC BY-NC-SA
What a treat to see all that history and I could think of no better person to be with for such a special weekend away! See you soon. xx
You rock! Thanks for taking me!
Ya, it was really awesome to see that and share the same space they would have so long ago. Amazing. How lucky where we with the weather too…
See you soon Bx